LOCAL AGRO-PRODUCTS SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE TO IMPORTED GOODS

By Mohd Azhar Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- Local agro-products from small-and medium-sized industries (SMIs) selling under FAMA's "Agromas" brand and local fruits and greens with the "Malaysia's Best" label are increasingly accepted by Malaysian consumers as viable alternatives to the more expensive imports.

FAMA director-general Mohamed Shariff Abdul Aziz said as a result of
the intensive promotional programmes like the "Eat More Local Fruits" and
"Edible Garden" campaigns carried out jointly by the Agriculture and
Agro-based Industry and FAMA, consumers are beginning to realise that local
produce, apart from being fresher and cheaper, are just as good, if not better,
than the imported ones in terms of quality and nutrition.

Many have started to include local fruits and greens as a staple part of
their diet, he told a consumer talkshow programme 1konsumer@bernamatv.

"The Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism (MAHA) Show 2008
in which some 2,000 small-an medium-sized industry (SMI) participants showcased
their products have boosted the image and popularity of Malaysian agro-products
at the international level," he said.

"For example, our green pepper sauce, which was first introduced at MAHA, is
now very popular in Switzerland as a condiment for steaks and French cuisine,"
he said.

1konsumer@bernamatv is a one-hour programme that addresses issues
concerning Malaysian consumers and consumerism. The programme can be viewed on
Bernama TV via Astro channel 502.

Speaking on "Made-in-Malaysia Products and Consumers" on the programme,
Shariff said that in addition to their attractive price-quality matrix, products
bearing the Malaysian "halal" logo are highly regarded and sought after
in countries like Singapore, Indonesia and the Middle East.

Consumers are taking unprecedented interest in the way food is produced,
processed and marketed, he said.

People expect to be protected from hazards occurring along the entire food
chain and are increasingly calling for the relevant government agencies to
accept greater responsibility for food safety and consumer protection, he said.

Touching on the "food miles" concept propagated in developed countries,
Shariff said it simply meant that the rate of environmental pollution increased
with the "from the farm to the table" distance of food supply.

"Under this concept, if given the choice between imported and local
agricultural produce, consumers will always opt for the latter since not only
it is fresher and just as nutritious, consuming local produce also reduces
environmental pollution," he said.

"All Agromas products undergo a stringent quality control process to ensure
they conform to international standards and quality determined by FAMA before
they are distributed locally to the supermarkets, hypermarkets and farmers
markets or exported," he said.

However, buyers are now more demanding than before in terms of quality,
safety and packaging.

And protection will only occur if all sectors in the chain operate in an
integrated way and food control systems comprehensively address all stages of
this chain.

In response, Shariff said FAMA is embarking on a programme to disseminate
information to agropreneurs and traders on the forthcoming Regulation 3P, which
will come in force in April.

"In accordance with good agricultural practices, Regulation 3P requires
that in addition to the price tag, all agro-products sold in the country be
graded, labelled and packaged in the prescribed manner," he said.

"This applies equally to hypermarkets, retail stores, farmers markets and
night markets apart from food imports from Thailand and Indonesia which are
currently enjoying a free reign here.

"It is envisaged that Regulation 3P will build the trust and confidence of
importers and consumers alike in the integrity of our food supply system," he
added.

-- BERNAMA